The umbrella market is a multi-billion dollar a year industry, with over 3.25 billion units sold worldwide annually. Consumers may buy several umbrellas for different functions and view them as expendable accessories. Umbrellas are relatively inexpensive items, and consumers are willing to replace or upgrade them as new styles and functionality become available.
Outdoor umbrellas are used for recreation, to enhance outdoor seating and as tools (e.g., for photographers).
A beach (or outdoor) umbrella is generally evaluated at the point of purchase by a user for its cost, convenience, stability, portability and increased functionality over other umbrellas.
It is desirable to offer an outdoor umbrella accessory system with customizable accessory components that can be inexpensively modified or offered separately to appeal to a diverse market of recreational and professional users of outdoor umbrella systems.